Great film, terrible and rage envoking ending.

Rating: Null/10 (26 June 2004)

SPOILER ALERT. ENDING REVEALED.
I am writing this review because I am enraged. I am not sure if this was the intention of the film, but I feel if I have been 'infected'.
This could well have been the best film of this, or perhaps any genre for me. It had everything- a great premise, atmosphere, a cast of more than adequate 'unknowns', the occasional corny dialogue (which added rather than detracted from the film), appropriate graphic content (I must admit I expected more gore), social commentary (both overt and implied, provoking thought and conversation) and a great use of audio and visual effects. This film was near 9+/10.
Then came the most lame and disappointing final sequence I have seen for some time. While I could suspend disbelief throughout the film for the sake of enjoyment and escape, I could not swallow that the protagonists were able to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.
Yes I admit I have a tendency to rewrite the "Hollywood ending" of films in my mind to provide a more satisfactory, and some would say pessimistic conclusion to many a screenplay. However given the content of this film, there was no other possibility but a "unhappy" ending. Humankind, whether it be "infected" or caught up in road rage or mob mentality or bullying or any show of abuse of power (please excuse me if this is not the underlying message of this film), will tend towards a path of internal and external destruction.
If the three main characters died when they crashed through the gate, while trying to escape from both the infected and non-infected pursuers, wouldn't that have been ironic. Or if that is too pessimistic, why not end the film just before the impact. That way those who wanted a hopeful and rosy ending could have walked away with the possibility of this, while those who prefer a meatier conclusion could also dream up their own finale.
I will conclude by saying that I am glad I only spent AUS$15 on an ex-rental DVD copy of this film. Mind you I will watch it again, but I will have my finger firmly on the stop button at the end, to prevent feeling so angry again.